Valve wheel wrench



Jan. 12, 1960 A. WILLEY, JR

VALVE WHEEL WRENCH Filed Feb. 13. 1958 INVENTOR: ALFRED w| LLEY, JR.

ATTYSI.

United States Patent Ofifice 2,920,517 Patented Jan. 12, 1960 Thepresent invention relates to new and useful improvements in wrenchesand, more specifically, to new and useful improvements in valveactuating wrenches which may be detachably applied to valve wheels thatare diflicult to operate and which are capable of affording a desiredamount of leverage to actuate the valve without requiring undue strainon the part of the user and without danger of damaging the valve.

It is well known that certain types of valves, because of their use inconnection with steam, air, or in general fluids under pressure, must bedesigned to prevent leakage. To this end these valves are packed tightlyand require considerable effort to seat properly. Use of auxiliary meansto facilitate operation of the valve is not new to the art. However,prior wrenches for increasing the leverage which may be applied to thevalve wheel have for the most part comprised makeshift devices whichhave proved unsatisfactory because of the limited application of thewrenches and other structural disadvantages.

The present invention, in addition to providing a device that is readilyapplicable to various size valve wheels, furnishes a wrench wherein theforce applied to the valve is a substantially torque-like force whichdoes not subject the valve stem to any deleterious bending force.Additionally, the wrench of the present invention is more aptly fittedfor the purposes intended and can be more expeditiously and convenientlyapplied and removed to a valve wheel. The structural innovations of thewrench of the present invention provide a tool that can be effectivelyapplied to any existing valve wheel without any appreciable slippageduring use.

With the foregoing in mind, the prinicpal object of the presentinvention is to provide a valve actuating wrench which can be readilyadapted to existing-valve 'wheels and which is capable of producing adesired amount of leverage for actuating the valve.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wrench which isreadily adaptable to various size valve wheels and which can be easilyapplied to and removed from existing valves.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means wherebythe user, by selective choice of a shearing device associated with thewrench, can control the amount of force transmitted to the valve wheelandthereby avert the danger of damaging the valve.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of avalve actuating wrench which is disposed on the valve wheel in such amanner that force transmitted to the valve is substantially atorque-like force thereby avoiding damage to the valve stem.

These and other objects of the present invention and the variousfeatures and details of the operation and construction thereof arehereinafter more fully set forth and described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a valve Wrench made in accordance withthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the wrench of Fig. 1 applied to avalve hand wheel;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view partially in section of the wrenchapplied to a valve hand wheel; and

Fig.4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 10designates generally a valve wrench made in accordance with the presentinvention which may be applied to a hand wheel 11 mounted, for example,by means of a nut 12 to the stem 13 of a valve. The hand wheel 11 is theconventional type found on most valves and includes a generally circularannular rim or frame 14 and a plurality of spokes 15 which extendradially from the hub 16 of the valve wheel and interconnect the annularrim 14 with the hub 16. The outer rim and the spokes are generally ofcircular cross section but need not be and, as will be pointed outlater, the wrench of the present invention may be used with anyconventional valve hand wheel. tion of the hand wheels may vary and thewrench of the present invention is generally applicable to any number ofhand wheels regardless of their size.

The wrench of the present invention comprises an elongated shank portion17 terminating at its outer end in a suitable handle portion 18 whichmay, as in the pres ent embodiment, be tapered. Additionally, a knob 21on the gripping device may be secured to the end of the handle, forexample, by means of an elongated rivet 22, to permit easier use of thewrench.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided to quicklyand easily detachably mount the wrench on the hand wheel of aconventional valve. To this end an opening 23 is provided in the centralportion of the body of the wrench which is adapted to engage over thenut 12 or other securing means connecting the hand wheel to the valvestem with the sides of the opening in close proximity to the sides ofthe nut. As shown in the present embodiment, the opening 23 extends inthe longitudinal direction of the wrench and tapers outwardly toward thehandle end to accommodate various size securing means. The transversedimension of the opening 23 will be determined by the conventions of thepractice; that is, it has been found that hand wheels of a certaindiameter employ a corresponding nut size to secure the hand wheel to thestem of the valve. It is, of course, to be understood the opening is notintended to engage the nut similar to a wrench but simply to serve as abearing member or fulcrum for operation of the wrench.

Projecting from the end portion of the shank of the wrench are a pair ofcurved finger members 24, 24 which extend downward and outwardly fromthe shank of the wrench and are adapted to engage opposite sides of aspoke 15 of the hand wheel and also to engage under the rim 14 of thehand wheel. Thus, in order to use the wrench of the present invention,the opening 23 in the shank is positioned over the valve stem nut andthe fingers 24, 24 are positioned adjacent opposite sides of the spokeof the wheel and beneath the rim thereby securing the wrench in place.Upon exertion of a force on the wrench handle to turn the valve wheel,one side of the opening 23 will bear against the nut 12 and act as afulcrum for the wrench while the inner edge of one of the fingers 24will bear against the wheel spoke 15 to exert a twisting force on the avalve stem.

The general configuraspoke of the wheel. the wrench to the hand wheel.

ing a pair of fingers 27, 27 extending outwardly longitudinally of theshank from the inner end thereof and dis posed in the same plane withthe shank 26. The channel 28 formed by the fingers 27, 27 may be of anydesired =1engthand Width so that it may readily receive the valveextending downwardly from either side of the shank and are adapted toengage over the spoke of the hand wheel and abuttingly engage the innerrim of thewheel. -To apply the wrench of this embodiment'to the wheelof'thevalve, the nut, which 'positionsthe wheel on the valve stem, isloosened and the finger portions are positioned in-engagement with thevalve stem and beneath'the nut.

The arcuate arm portions are adjusted to abut the inner rim of the wheeland the arms are straddled over-the Thereafter, 'the valve may beoperated by gripping a handle member '30 secured to the outer end of theshank 27 by'means of a rivet 31 or the like.

In both embodiments of the present invention means The nut is thentightened to secure a are provided to insure that only a predeterminedtorque' is imparted to the wheel upon actuation of the wrench. To thisend the rivet, or other fastening means by which the knob or handleportion is interconnected with the outer end of the wrench, is designedas a shear pin which will shear at a predetermined load, thus'preventingan unduly large torque from being exerted on'the valve stem. However,another means for accomplishingthe same result may be employed byproviding various openings (not shown) along the axis of theshank'within which the handle can be positioned. Thus, as the handle ismoved inwardly along the axis toward the hub of the hand wheel theamount of torque which can be imparted to the valve stem will belimited.

As can be seen from the configurations described, the tool can be madeof a single length of flat metal rod and the various openings andprotrusions can be'formed therefrom, though it might well be of aconstruction involving several parts which are secured together in anydesired manner. The length of the handle may vary since it can beemployed as a simpleshort lever for turning the wheel or it can beemployed as a reach rod when the hand wheel is located close to theceiling or some other seemingly inaccessible point. r

Although in the normal course of operation with the wrench the fingerportions extend downwardly to engage "over the spoke of the rim bysimply inverting the wrench,

it can be employed to effectively turn those'types of hand wheelswherein the hub of the wheel lies beneath the rim of the Wheel.

From the foregoing it will beapparent that the present inventionprovides a novel improvement in wrenches for v imparted to the wheel ofthe valve and one which insures the force supplied in turning the valvein substantially a torque like and not a bending force, therebyprecluding any damage to the valve. Further it can be seen that theabove mentioned is of relatively simplified construction, may bemanufactured easily and cheaply, and is highly efficient and effectivein operation and use.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated anddescribed herein, it is not intended to limit .theinvention to such a disclosure and changes and modifications may beincorporated and embodied therein within the scope of thefollowingclaims.

I claim: I

l. A valve actuating wrench adapted to be secured to a valve wheelhaving annular rim with at least one spoke connected to the rim andvalve wheel fastening means to secure the valve wheel to the valve stem,said wrench comprising; an elongated shank adapted to be positionedradially with respect to the valve wheel, means defining an elongatedslot opening in the shank operable to receive and engage over the meanssecuring the valve wheel to the stem, said opening being positioned atsubstantially the midpoint of the shank and extending 1ongitudinallythereof, a pair of finger portions at one end of said shank projectingdownwardly and outwardly therefrom in engagementrwith opposite sides ofsaid spoke and operable to engage under said annular rim, .and a handlemember secured to'the other end of said shank outwardly of said annularrim whereby the exertion of a force on the handle member in the plane ofthe valve wheel and perpendicular to the axisof'the shank will causerotation of the valve wheel.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said opening divergesoutwardly away from said finger portions.

' 3. A valve actuating wrench adapted to be secured to a valve wheelhaving an annular rim with at leastone spoke connected to the rim andvalve wheel fastening maens to secure the valve wheel to the valve stem,said wrench comprising; an elongated shank adapted to be positionedradially with respect to the valve wheel, means defining an elongatedslot opening in'the-sha'nk operable to receive and engage over the meanssecuring the valve wheel to thestem, a pair of finger portions securedto said shank and projecting downwardly and outwardly therefrom inengagement with opposite sides of said spoke operable to engage undersaid annular rim, and a handle member secured to said shankoutwar'dly ofsaid annular rim whereby the exertion of a force on the handlev memberin the plane of the valve wheel and perpendicular to the axis of theshankwill cause rotation of the valve wheel, said handle member beingsecured to said shank by a shear pin operable to-shear .upon. exertionof a predetermined force thereon to limit thevtorquc which may beappliedto the valve stem.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSSchadeck July 27, -1926

